英语美文100篇.docx

英语美文100篇.docx

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英语美文100篇

Passage1.knowledgeandVirtue

Knowledgeisonething,virtueisanother;goodsenseisnotconscience,refinementisnothumility,norislargenessandjustnessofviewfaith.Philosophy,howeverenlightened,howeverprofound,givesnocommandoverthepassions,noinfluentialmotives,novivifyingprinciples.LiberalEducationmakesnottheChristian,nottheCatholic,butthegentleman.Itiswelltobeagentleman,itiswelltohaveacultivatedintellect,adelicatetaste,acandid,equitable,dispassionatemind,anobleandcourteousbearingintheconductoflife—thesearetheconnaturalqualitiesofalargeknowledge;theyaretheobjectsofaUniversity.Iamadvocating,Ishallillustrateandinsistuponthem;butstill,Irepeat,theyarenoguaranteeforsanctityorevenforconscientiousness,andtheymayattachtothemanoftheworld,totheprofligate,

totheheartless,pleasant,alas,andattractiveasheshowswhendeckedoutinthem.

Takenbythemselves,theydobutseemtobewhattheyarenot;

theylooklikevirtueatadistance,buttheyaredetectedbycloseobservers,andinthelongrun;andhenceitisthattheyarepopularlyaccusedofpretenseandhypocrisy,

not,Irepeat,fromtheirownfault,butbecausetheirprofessorsandtheiradmirerspersistintakingthemforwhattheyarenot,andareofficiousinarrogatingforthemapraisetowhichtheyhavenoclaim.Quarrythegraniterockwithrazors,ormoorthevesselwithathreadofsilk,thenmayyouhopewithsuchkeenanddelicateinstrumentsashumanknowledgeandhumanreasontocontendagainstthosegiants,

Passage2.“Packing”aPerson

Aperson,likeacommodity,needspackaging.Butgoingtoofarisabsolutelyundesirable.

Alittleexaggeration,however,doesnoharmwhenitshowstheperson'suniquequalitiestotheiradvantage.Todisplaypersonalcharminacasualandnaturalway,

itisimportantforonetohaveaclearknowledgeofoneself.

Amasterpackagerknowshowtointegrateartandnaturewithoutanytracesofembellishment,sothatthepersonsopackagedisnocommoditybutahumanbeing,livelyandlovely.Ayoungperson,especiallyafemale,radiantwithbeautyandfulloflife,hasallthefavorgrantedbyGod.

Anyattempttomakeupwouldbeself-defeating.Youth,however,comesandgoesinamomentofdoze.Packagingforthemiddle-agedisprimarilytoconcealthefurrowsploughedbytime.Ifyoustillenjoylife'sexuberanceenoughtoretainself-confidence

andpursuepioneeringwork,youareuniqueinyournaturalqualities,andyourcharmandgracewillremain.Elderlypeoplearebeautifuliftheirriveroflifehasbeen,

throughplains,mountainsandjungles,runningitscourseasitshould.Youhavereallylivedyourlifewhichnowarrivesatacomplacentstageofserenityindifferenttofameorwealth.Thereisnoneedtoresorttohair-dyeing；

thesnow-cappedmountainisitselfabeautifulsceneoffairyland.

Letyourlookschangefromyoungtooldsynchronizingwiththenaturalageingprocesssoastokeepinharmonywithnature,forharmonyitselfisbeauty,whiletheotherwayroundwillonlyendinunpleasantness.Tobeintheelder'scompanyislikereadingathickbookofdeluxeeditionthatfascinatesonesomuchastobereluctanttopartwith.Aslongasonefindswhereonestands,oneknowshowtopackageoneself,

justasacommodityestablishesitsbrandbytherightpackaging.

Passage3.ThreePassionsIHaveLivedfor

Threepassions,simplebutoverwhelminglystrong,havegovernedmylife:

thelongingforlove,thesearchforknowledge,andunbearablepityforthesufferingofmankind.

Thesepassions,likegreatwinds,haveblownmehitherandthither,inawaywardcourseoveradeepoceanofanguish,reachingtotheveryvergeofdespair.Ihavesoughtlove,first,becauseitbringsecstasy—ecstasysogreatthatIwouldoftenhavesacrificedalltherestofmylifeforafewhoursforthisjoy.Ihavesoughtit,next,becauseitrelievesloneliness—thatterriblelonelinessinwhichoneshiveringconsciousnesslooksovertherimoftheworldintothecoldunfathomablelifelessabyss.Ihavesoughtit,finally,becauseintheunionofloveIhaveseen,

inamysticminiature,theprefiguringvisionoftheheaventhatsaintsandpoetshaveimagined.ThisiswhatIsought,andthoughitmightseemtoogoodforhumanlife,

thisiswhat—atlast—Ihavefound.WithequalpassionIhavesoughtknowledge.

Ihavewishedtounderstandtheheartsofmen.Ihavewishedtoknowwhythestarsshine...Alittleofthis,butnotmuch,Ihaveachieved.

Loveandknowledge,sofarastheywerepossible,ledupwardtowardtheheavens.

Butalwayspitybroughtmebacktoearth.Echoesofcriesofpainreverberateinmyheart.Childreninfamine,victimstorturedbyoppressors,helplessoldpeople

—ahatedburdentotheirsons,andthewholeworldofloneliness,poverty,andpainmakeamockeryofwhathumanlifeshouldbe.Ilongtoalleviatetheevil,butIcannot,andItoosuffer.Thishasbeenmylife.Ihavefounditworthliving,andwouldgladlyliveitagainifthechancewereofferedme.

Passage4.ALittleGirl

Sittingonagrassygrave,beneathoneofthewindowsofthechurch,wasalittlegirl.

Withherheadbentbackshewasgazingupattheskyandsinging,whileoneofherlittlehandswaspointingtoatinycloudthathoveredlikeagoldenfeatheraboveherhead.Thesun,whichhadsuddenlybecomeverybright,shiningonherglossyhair,

gaveitametallicluster,anditwasdifficulttosaywhatwasthecolor,darkbronzeorblack.Socompletelyabsorbedwassheinwatchingthecloudtowhichherstrangesongorincantationseemedaddressed,thatshedidnotobservemewhenIroseandwenttowardsher.Overherhead,highupintheblue,alarkthatwassoaringtowardsthesamegauzycloudwassinging,asifinrivalry.

AsIslowlyapproachedthechild,Icouldseebyherforehead,whichinthesunshineseemedlikeaglobeofpearl,andespeciallybyhercomplexion,thatsheuncommonlylovely.Hereyes,whichatonemomentseemedblue-gray,atanotherviolet,

wereshadedbylongblacklashes,curvingbackwardinamostpeculiarway,

andthesematchedinhuehereyebrows,andthetressesthatweretossedabouthertenderthroatwerequiveringinthesunlight.AllthisIdidnottakeinatonce;

foratfirstIcouldseenothingbutthosequivering,glittering,changefuleyesturnedupintomyface.Graduallytheotherfeatures,especiallythesensitivefull-lippedmouth,

grewuponmeasIstoodsilentlygazing.Hereseemedtomeamoreperfectbeautythanhadevercometomeinmyloveliestdreamsofbeauty.

Yetitwasnotherbeautysomuchasthelookshegavemethatfascinatedme,meltedme.

Passage5DeclarationofIndependence

WhenintheCourseofhumanevents,itbecomesnecessaryforonepeopletodissolvethepoliticalbandswhichhaveconnectedthemwithanother,

andtoassumeamongthepowersoftheearth,theseparateandequalstationtowhichtheLawsofNatureandofNature'sGodentitlethem,adecentrespecttotheopinionsofmankindrequiresthattheyshoulddeclarethecauseswhichimpelthemtotheseparation.Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,

thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.—Thattosecuretheserights,GovernmentsareinstitutedamongMen,derivingtheirjustpowersfromtheconsentofthegoverned,—ThatwheneveranyFormofGovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistheRightofthePeopletoalterortoabolishit,

andtoinstitutenewGovernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciplesandorganizingitspowersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirSafetyandHappiness.Prudence,indeed,willdictatethatGovernmentslongestablishedshouldnotbechangedforlightandtransientcauses;andaccordinglyallexperiencehasshown,thatmankindaremoredisposedtosuffer,whileevilsaresufferable,thantorightthemselvesbyabolishingtheformstowhichtheyareaccustomed.Butwhenalongtrainofabusesandusurpations,

pursuinginvariablythesameObjectevincesadesigntoreducethemunderabsoluteDespotism,itistheirright,itistheirduty,tothrowoffsuchGovernment,andtoprovidenewGuardsfortheirfuturesecurity.—SuchhasbeenthepatientsufferanceoftheseColonies;andsuchisnowthenecessitywhichconstrainsthemtoaltertheirformerSystemsofGovernment.isahistoryofrepeatedinjuriesandusurpations,

allhavingindirectobjecttheestablishmentofanabsoluteTyrannyovertheseStates.

Toprovethis,letFactsbesubmittedtoacandidworld.

Passage6.ATributetotheDog

Thebestfriendamanhasintheworldmayturnagainsthimandbecomehisenemy.

Hissonordaughterthathehasrearedwithlovingcaremayproveungrateful.

Thosewhoarenearestanddearesttous,thosewhomwetrustwithourhappinessandourgoodname,maybecometraitorstotheirfaith.

Themoneythatamanhashemaylose.Itfliesawayfromhim,perhapswhenheneedsitmost.Aman’sreputationmaybesacrificedinamomentofill-consideredaction.

Thepeoplewhoarepronetofallontheirkneestodoushonorwhensuccessiswithusmaybethefirsttothrowthestoneofmalicewhenfailuresettlesitsclouduponourheads.Theoneabsolutelyunselfishfriendthatmancanhaveinthisselfishworld,

theonethatneverdesertshim,theonethatneverprovesungratefulortreacherous,ishisdog.Aman’sdogstandsbyhiminprosperityandinpoverty,inhealthandinsickness.Hewillsleeponthecoldground,wherethewintrywindsblowandthesnowdrivesfiercely,ifonlyhemaybenearhismaster’sside.Hewillkissthehandthathasnofoodtooffer;hewilllickthewoundsandsoresthatcomefromencoun